DURANGO, Colo. — No. 18 Fort Lewis (3-0-0 overall) scored a pair of late goals to oust No. 19 Truman State (1-2-0) 2-0 today at Dirks Field, avenging a 2-1 loss to the Bulldogs last year in Missouri.

Truman State and junior goalkeeper Tyler Knierim held the Skyhawks scoreless for more than 70 minutes before freshman midfielder Alberto Capdepon Rodriguez netted his first collegiate marker at 70:51 to break the ice. Senior Thomas Hoang sprung Capdepon Rodriguez with a pass across the box that the Spaniard was able to slide inside the near post from 15 yards out.

The Skyhawks bought some insurance less than six minutes later when senior defender Berekk Blackwell tapped in a rebound of Hoang’s blast off the post at 76:15. Senior defender Fabian Kling picked up the second assist by threading a pass to a streaking Hoang. Blackwell, who has 50 career appearances for the Skyhawks, scored just the third goal of his collegiate career and first of the 2011 campaign.

While the Skyhawks were snuffed until the 71st minute, they certainly owned a distinct advantage in possession, overall shots (27-5), shots on frame (10-3), and corner kicks (7-1). Fort Lewis found iron three times in the match (two posts and a crossbar) and rushed a few other scoring chances. When they fire a ball on target early, Knierim answered with a save (he finished with eight).

“I think we started slowly in the first half and struggled to find a way into the game,” said third-year FLC skipper Oige Kennedy. “We came out stronger in the second half and started to see opportunities go off the crossbar and go off the post. It started to look like one of those days. After Alberto found a way to score, we got more comfortable. We just needed a little bit more quality at that end of the field.”

Senior goalkeeper Ryan Wirth extended his shutout streak to 384:45 — one that extends to the 15:15 mark of the 2010 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference semifinals. He was active all day, stymieing the only three Bulldog shots on goal while intercepting numerous errant passes and pouncing on loose balls in the box.

He also ran his streak of consecutive games without allowing a goal to four, including the first three contests of 2011 and the 2010 RMAC championship tilt.

 “I think that’s a mark of how he’s come on the past couple of seasons,” said Kennedy, who led the Skyhawks to the 2009 NCAA Division II title in his first season at FLC. “To be able to go through a game and concentrate even though you’re not counted on every minute to make a save is tough. I think he did very well today.”

Kennedy credited FLC’s starting fullbacks — seniors Blackwell and Kling, sophomore Grant Duke, and redshirt freshman Johannes Sander — for the frugal amount of chances they’ve surrendered in 2011.

“It’s a credit the whole defense as well,” he said. “We’re not giving up a lot of opportunities to the other team. Hopefully we can continue that on Sunday.”

The Skyhawks face their arch-rival, No. 8 Colorado Mines (2-0-0 overall) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Dirks Field. The Orediggers went 2-0-1 against FLC a year ago, including a draw through two overtimes in the RMAC title game that they eventually won in penalty kicks. The game is not a league contest, though, but carries importance in regional and national rankings.

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